1. I said in my heart, `Pray, come, I try thee with mirth, and look thou on gladness;' and lo, even it [is] vanity.
2. Of laughter I said, `Foolish!' and of mirth, `What [is] this it is doing?'
3. I have sought in my heart to draw out with wine my appetite, (and my heart leading in wisdom), and to take hold on folly till that I see where [is] this--the good to the sons of man of that which they do under the heavens, the number of the days of their lives.
4. I made great my works, I builded for me houses, I planted for me vineyards.
5. I made for me gardens and paradises, and I planted in them trees of every fruit.
6. I made for me pools of water, to water from them a forest shooting forth trees.
7. I got men-servants, and maid-servants, and sons of the house were to me; also, I had much substance--herd and flock--above all who had been before me in Jerusalem.
8. I gathered for me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces. I prepared for me men-singers and women-singers, and the luxuries of the sons of man-- a wife and wives.
9. And I became great, and increased above every one who had been before me in Jerusalem; also, my wisdom stood with me.
10. And all that mine eyes asked I kept not back from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labour, and this hath been my portion, from all my labour,
11. and I have looked on all my works that my hands have done, and on the labour that I have laboured to do, and lo, the whole [is] vanity and vexation of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun!
12. And I turned to see wisdom, and madness, and folly, but what [is] the man who cometh after the king? that which [is] already--they have done it!
13. And I saw that there is an advantage to wisdom above folly, like the advantage of the light above the darkness.
14. The wise! --his eyes [are] in his head, and the fool in darkness is walking, and I also knew that one event happeneth with them all;